BloodStained Glass
by NeverLookBackSamurai
Summary: L decided to allow Light outside without handcuffs. Of course, L would accompany him. But why did a simple outing end that way? Alternate plot line. Oneshot LxLight LxRaito SPOILER FOR L'S REAL NAME


**Disclaimer:** I do not own Death Note or any characters affiliated therewith.

* * *

Light Yagami

Age: 17

Gender: Male

Hair/ Eye Color: Auburn/Brown

Occupation: Detective

Status:

_Deceased._

"And I had been witness to his death," L thought grimly as he stood among a throng of mourners at the youth's funeral. The young detective's gaze was locked on the other boy's face, so serene and innocent in repose. Dressed in a suit the color of a swan's down, and surrounded by roses the color of a rich sunset, Light looked positively like a sleeping angel. It was this stunning display, L observed silently, that brought out the natural creamy color in the Yagami boy's skin.

Once, L had irrevocably thought Light had been Kira. But by monitoring his behavior for many months on end, Light Yagami had ceased to retain even a hint of a murderer, even in L's mind. Now, the raven-hair sadly believed him to be merely an innocent teenager caught in the flow of Kira's massacre.

But perhaps he was being too biased. Misa Amane _had_ been tried and convicted of being the Second Kira, and was now awaiting the death penalty for her crimes. And ever since the day she was arrested, she had never said a word, save to plead guilty at her trial. Whether this was to save Light, L did not know anymore; nor did he care.

* * *

_He remembered it like it was yesterday: L had decided to allow Light outside just this once without being handcuffed. The detective's sallow, sleep-deprived eyes had seen that the young man was losing concentration, most likely from severe lack of Vitamin D. Of course, L had told Light he would be supervising him, once again assuming the name Hideki Ryuuga for safety. Light had persuaded the detective to patronize his favorite coffee shop that day. They sat in the very back of the little shop, next to a window that let in so much light, it nearly made L's eyes water in pain. Their little area was fragrant with the concentrated smell of rich coffee, mixed with the aroma of chocolate chip cookies baking in the oven. Light ordered his usual mocha, having drunk much too much black coffee when he was working late on the Kira case with L. The detective, on the other hand, ordered seven slices of strawberry cake and at least fourteen shots of espresso._

* * *

L's eyes fell to the ground just below Light's casket, allowing a small, aggrieved smile to play across his lips. He remembered Light's attempt to hide his amusement behind a mask of indifference as the waitress stared at him in disbelief and, most likely, disgust.

"_But that was the last day you had any amusement. The last day… you lived._" An enormous cloud cut across the sky, blocking out all sunlight save for what fell on and around Light's final resting place. L wondered if the boy was in Heaven at that moment, blaming his death on the detective. L would gladly have taken all responsibility and even begged the gods to allow Light to live once more in exchange for himself…

* * *

_He and Light had been walking back from the modest café, attempting to make conversation without knowing much of anything about each other. They finally touched the subject of women, a subject that Light knew well, having been on many various dates before that never seemed to work out. But L had never had contact much with a woman, and was curious as to what aspects a 'date' contained. A storm began to form overhead, and they were only two blocks from the building where the investigation was centered. There were so many other people on the sidewalks, hurrying to get out of the approaching rain; but L still didn't know how it happened. Suddenly, Light was jerked from beside the detective just as they passed an alley. A flicker of amazement and confusion passed over L's face as he turned and came face to face with an ordinary thief… With a gun to Light's head. _

_For the first time in over eight years, L felt afraid. His eyes widened, his body froze, but his mind worked furiously; true, Light did in fact look the wealthier of the two: dressed in a pair of khaki slacks, with a smart navy button-up shirt clinging to his well-toned upper body, while L was dressed in his normal white shirt, loose-fitting jeans, no socks, and sneakers with bent-in heels. But why the man had not attempted to separate them first, that was what had L confused. _

"_Don't move a muscle!" the man said quietly, fear plainly showing from the whites of his eyes. "Or I'll shoot him! He's your best college-buddy right? Don't move, and don't call the cops! Or he'll be dead!" _

_It took all of L's willpower not to scream for help, to throw himself at the man in a blind and desperate attempt to put some distance between the thief and Light. The armed man jerked his head behind him into the darkening alley and began to lead Light back with him. Despite the fact that his mind was screaming at him not to do so, L slowly followed the thief, until the three of them were swallowed into the shadows between the buildings on either side. He could hear the man panting in fright, but it was not this that attracted his attention. No, it was Light's wide brown eyes pleading with L's charcoal-colored ones. Suddenly, there was the sound of sirens, the screech of tires and the smell of burning rubber as police officers surrounded the alley, shouting at the thief to give himself up. Panicking, the thief's grasp around Light's neck slackened, and the boy took the chance to elbow the man in the side hard. Then he ran. _

_L was ready, his arms outstretched towards Light as he stumbled toward the detective. For a brief moment L felt Light's soft, warm hands grasp his own, his arms wrap around the slim detective in a desperate, relieved embrace, both fervent and loving at the same time. _

_Then a shout, Light whirling around, his arms flung out in an effort to protect L: his partner, his equal, his friend, his rival. A deafening bang, and then everything went silent. L felt a thick, hot liquid splash across his face, burning him, shocking him. He saw Light stiffen before falling backwards, as the thief held out the smoking gun, his finger still squeezing the trigger. Seeing what he had done, the thief dropped the weapon, turned on his heel and fled into the advancing darkness. _

_L looked at the trembling boy in his arms, not knowing when he had caught Light or how he had managed to come to rest on the muddy ground of the alley. He knew policemen were rushing past him, ordering comrades to do things L could not and would not hear. Obsidian eyes found the wound, bleeding profusely at Light's chest. Suddenly, everything that had happened slammed into the detective as if a truck had run him into a concrete wall. Light had just sacrificed his entire future for the one being who thought he ought to be dead since his parents died in a house fire. _

_Light Yagami had saved L's life._

_Light moved his hand to his chest, only to see it come away dripping with his own blood. He realized blood was running down his neck, draining out of his mouth. His eyes lifted to L's face and saw the ghost of his friend: eyes wide, pupils narrowed in disbelief, his stark white face spattered with Light's blood as well as that that had soaked through his pure white shirt as he caught him. _

_L saw the boy's hand rise to his own face as his lips tried to form words._

"_L… R-Ryuuza….ki…" L did not feel the tears running in rivers down his cheeks as he lifted his friend so his head rested on his shoulder. _

"_Why?" he cried softly to Light, "Why?" Light barely managed a wry smile. _

"_People always do… crazy things… when they're in… love," he whispered in L's ear weakly. _

"_You… You love me?" L asked the boy, pulling away slightly. Light could only nod, painful though it was for the slight gesture. _

"_I love you, Ryuuzaki-"_

"_Lawliet." Light's eyes held Lawliet's for a long time, and the detective could see, with growing fear, that their fiery light was slowly waning. Light gently stroked the detective's face with what little strength he had left._

"_Lawliet… I love you…" His eyes turned to stare one last time directly into L's and the raven-haired man felt his heart breaking._

"_I love you, too… Light…" The boy smiled as he closed his eyes for the last time. Lawliet distinctly felt his heart tear in his ribcage as Light's hand slid from his face, only to land beside him on the pavement. He stared in disbelief at the silent young man in his arms. Without knowing where it came from, a scream more horrifying than anything he had ever heard tore itself from his throat and shattered the serenity of the night sky. L lifted his face to the heavens and screamed out his despair and pain, his regrets, his love, every emotion he had for this single being he loved more than anything in the world. They sky seemed to be mourning with him, cold droplets of rain soaking everything in their path._

"_Light-kun… Light-kun…" Lawliet repeated his name endlessly, clutching the boy's body close to his chest as he rocked back and forth, rain and tears mixing together, forming a torrent that streamed down L's face and onto Light's. _

"_He's gone, son. Let him go." A police officer gently tried to pry the body loose from Lawliet's grasp, but the detective's pain was such that it required not only two paramedics, but four other policemen to make him relinquish the boy._

"_NO! LIGHT! LET ME GO! LIIIIIIIIIGHT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"_

* * *

L shook his head slightly as he returned from the surge of memories. Soichiro Yagami stepped forth to lower the lid on Light's casket, and L found himself beside the chief. Charcoal orbs met earthen eyes and they nodded, understanding. Soichiro did not blame Lawliet for his son's death, even when the detective felt it was purely his own fault. But these thoughts were soon pushed away, as Sayu and Sachiko Yagami joined the two men in lowering the lid. Light was as beautiful and innocent as ever as the lid closed, L noted, stepping back to his original place.

"And the ghost of his final smile was still upon his lips," the detective whispered to himself, watching the crowds disperse after the funeral was over. He began to walk back to the hotel he was staying at. And it was the only thing L could do, as he went back to hiding behind a single letter on a computer screen, a machine-garbled voice, aliases, and lies. And whenever he happened to pass by a church, he always saw in the window effigies, red panels of bloodstained glass, never forgetting, always recalling the grief of his lost beloved.

* * *

**A/N**: I truly hope I did not break any hearts (even though I know my writing is nowhere near the point of evoking emotion), or have made anyone 'hate my guts'. Also, as some of my previous readers may have noticed, this is my first oneshot that did not contain any lyrics to a song. I am very proud at how this came out, and hope you enjoyed it. Thank you very much for reading this poor writer's work.


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